Nov 29, 2007

At park, no bikers allowed

Officials to build fence to keep skateboarders safe

By Shaun Bishop / Daily News Staff Writer

A new fence around a popular Redwood City skate park that would keep bikers out and skateboarders in could be erected as soon as January, Redwood City parks officials say.

Parks officials originally tried to find a compromise between BMX bikers and skateboarders locked in a dispute over who should be allowed to use the city's skate park.

Safety concerns over collisions between bikers and skaters won out. As a result, skaters can remain but bikers will be told to stay away.

The 6-foot fence will be built around the Phil Shao Memorial Skate Park at Red Morton Park and its coveted concrete dips, bowls and ledges.

"We felt like we needed to take control of it and be able to lock it down if people weren't complying with the rules on their own," said Parks and Recreation Director Corinne Centeno.

The city's Parks and Recreation Commission approved the fence, which Centeno said will cost between $2,000 and $3,000, in September. She said the city is looking for bids from local companies and hopes to have the fence up by January.

The fence, along with a specially designed entrance, will make it more difficult for bike-toting visitors to enter the park, Centeno said.

While she realizes the fence won't stop everyone -- rebellious bikers could throw their rides over the barrier, which will encircle the 13,000-square-foot park -- Centeno said it will be another tool to help officials enforce the rules and keep the park safe.

"Now what we're finding is, (skateboarders) are basically saying, 'We need some control and we don't necessarily feel like we should be the ones to do it,'" Centeno said.

She said the fence could also aid parks officials in enforcing other park rules, such as requiring participants to wear helmets. If there is widespread disregard for the rules, the fence will allow the city to shut down the park to encourage compliance.

Most California skate parks prohibit biking because it is not considered a "hazardous recreational activity" under state law, which could expose a city to a lawsuit if a biker gets hurt.

Redwood City police Capt. Ed Hernandez said the skate park has been a problem spot in recent months, with complaints about bikers phoned in to the department.

"We always start out with trying to get compliance voluntarily," Hernandez said. When bikers refuse to leave, police issue citations, though only a handful have been given out to date, he said.

He said the primary concern for police is public safety, specifically the potential for collisions.

Those fears were shared by a handful of skateboarders hanging out at the park Tuesday afternoon.

"That's a lot of metal to be hit with," said Andrew Langi, 16.

Skateboarders Josh Teck, 18, and Steve Munoz, 15, said they once got angry at a biker who narrowly missed hitting a young skateboarder.

At prior meetings, bikers have said both sports are dangerous and that they are careful to avoid collisions.

Asked what the city should do about the bikers, the skateboarders responded in unison: "Build 'em their own park."

Centeno said that is a possibility, noting that the parks department will consider it as it does future planning.

"We certainly hear there's a need," she said.



E-mail Shaun Bishop at sbishop@dailynewsgroup.com.